July 15th – July 21st
Mon: 35 min easy + 5 x 15 sec strides + 5 min.
Complete. 48 mins. 10.09km.
https://www.strava.com/activities/11894762303
Tue: 15 min WU, 5 x 400 @ 90 (30/90) 4-6 x 1k @ 3:40 (60), 15 min CD. Complete on Friday on track. 400’s all at 80. Km’s at 3:30, 3:30, 3:32, 3:30, 3:26 and 3:22. 15.40km.
https://www.strava.com/activities/11925433525
Wed: 60 min easy.
Complete on grass. 12.60km.
https://www.strava.com/activities/11912896302
Thur: 15 min WU, 3 x 10 min @ sub T (90), 15 min, CD.
Complete on Tuesday. 2.60km, 2.64km and 2.68. Croppy acre. 14.50km total.
https://www.strava.com/activities/11900857013
Fri: off
Sat: 15 min WU, 15 min @ sub T (jog to hill) + 2 x (60, 45, 30 sec hills), 15 min CD.
Complete on Sunday. HR high so reps slower. Hills steep but not long. 13.47km total.
https://www.strava.com/activities/11942333133
Sun: 90 min.
Complete on Saturday. Rosslare. 19.38km.
https://www.strava.com/activities/11934114204
We begin as we ended last week; with arse pain. Less intermittent and slightly more permanent, I decided to visit a physio in Lucan who diagnosed the issue as being caused by hip tightness. All the glute and hamstring tests were passed but my right hip is demonstrably more stiff than the left and, with that, it was concluded that my glute and hamstring are overworking to compensate for the hip being tight. I was sent packing with some exercises and a follow up appointment in two weeks time (is it possible to leave a physio without them booking you in for a follow up?) to check on progress. The goal is to be diligent with the exercises over the next two weeks and hopefully keep this issue at bay.
A non standard start to what was a bit of a chaotic week. Due to some family celebrations, work commitments, a very sore toe and a weekend away in Rosslare, my life schedule was all over the siopa. Thankfully, I was able to do all my training as prescribed but with the days moved around. I ran easy after work on Monday in Catherine’s Park and took the route through the forest. The forest portion only lasts less than a mile but it is glorious. It features a stupidly steep climb to get onto the path but that is preceded by a good stretch beside the river and some heron spotting. The far side of the forest path ends up on the pitches so it was a good mix of terrain.
On Tuesday, I wasn’t able to do my track session so settled for my Thursday session of 3 x 10 minutes. I was in the office so set off at lunch time and headed west down the quays to the world famous Croppy Acre. A lap of the Croppy Acre is about 500 metres and the four turns are not too sharp so it is a very good place for a session. It is also relatively quiet, save for the few mad scones that are floating around. Special shoutout to the man who was necking cans of Karpackie Black while listening to The Prodigy and the couple walking their dog for the duration of my session having a heated argument. I wasn’t as disciplined with the heart rate as I was for this session on the track last week and paid a little too much attention to pace. There is good tree cover on the long straight closest to the river and it played havoc on my watch for portions of the session but, all in all, I think the stimulus was broadly correct.
Wednesday was a recovery run in the Phoenix Park on the trails and it was a beautiful, if muggy, evening. The grass has been really firm lately and a joy to run on. I switched my days off and decided to take Thursday off to allow my aching toe some time to rest. It has by and large begun to settle down but I will require the services of a podiatrist worth their salt to give my feet a good seeing too. I pronate slightly and, on my right hand side, I have developed some gnarly calluses as a result. I have been compensating by putting more pressure on my big toe as I run and this has caused some damage. Ultimately, the calluses are the issue and once the podiatrist works their magic, I should be ok. I haven’t yet booked a podiatry appointment – this is largely due to a pretty busy schedule and the issue not really stopping me training for the moment. Classic stupid runner. I also enjoy the act of soaking my feet in warm water and going at them with a pumice stone so it is important to mention the home care remedy, too.
I was back at it on Friday and did my Tuesday track session on the track. I know, right? Makes sense. This was a very enjoyable session and I have really started to enjoy the track in the last few weeks and months. I would really like to have somebody who is doing the sessions with me but unfortunately that isn’t the case right now. For now, I must commit to the slog solo and run those 3:30 kilometres. I also did this session in the morning so was good to practice some early morning fuelling ahead of a session as this is good practice for race day. A bagel with peanut butter and a coffee set me up and I think I delivered. Next up was a drive to Rosslare.
As I did a session on Friday, I moved my Saturday session to Sunday so as to not go back to back for hard days. I ran 90 minutes easy around the Rosslare municipality and it was a delight, save for the driving rain, the freezing wind and the nonsense road signs that occupy the area. I planned a route for my 90 minutes and after about 5K, I took a left turn quicker than I should have (my fault) and it set me on a road parallel to where I needed to be. I realised this approximately 20 minutes later when I did not come upon a right hand turn that I knew was on the map and should have passed. No matter, I thought, as I kept running on the boreen as I was going in the somewhat correct direction, Much to my delight, I came across some road signs that told me Rosslare Strand was to the left. Hooray, I mused, as my wrong turn did not have any negative impacts. I followed the sign to the left, as directed, and came to the end of the road where another sigh for Rosslare Strand ushered my right – so right I went. I continued straight for another while and the next sign said Rosslare Harbour 6km. This was the first mention of the harbour and my interest was now piqued – the harbour was not close to the strand, if I am going towards the harbour then I am not going to the strand. Bemused, I continued on for another 5 minutes and another sign appeared – Rosslare Harbour 6km. Now I was flummoxed. Unless I had been running on the spot (a possibility due to the wind), the sign was now telling me I hadn’t even moved. Now angry, I flagged down a cyclist who pointed me towards the village of Tagoat and told me to head through the village and I will get to the strand. Thankfully he was correct and I found my way home, Prodigal Son style. I thought about this for the remainder of the day and questioned if I read the signs right as I was running. On Sunday, Emma and I drove part of the route and I confirmed that the signs were wrong. Unsure how that happens but happy to drag a few hundred words out of it.
To round out the week, and before driving home, I did my final session of the week, which was light enough, and consisted of 15 minutes sub threshold and some hills. Hills are hard to come by where I was staying so I made due with one steep thunderbastard of a hill and started some of the reps about 30 metres before it to make sure I got the majority of the reps on the hill. My body felt good overall but I did have a slight niggle in the arse when doing the harder reps as I was on the hill. This is due to the placement of the foot strike on the hill but I am confident that will figure itself out once I complete my exercises.
A circuitous route home via Carrick on Suir and Supermacs in Carlow, with some strange podcasting, finished off a great week of training. The volume will begin to be upped this week as the track sessions add some more reps and the sub threshold work is canned in favour of specific mid week marathon work. Joy to the world, the Block has come.
Buckets of Rain 